Laugh reaction

[Itsjustsodepressing]

I know when MN introduced the reaction button which included the Laugh emoji a lot of posters weren't happy about it. And there have been various comments by posters about its misuse.

It is just being used so commonly now to mock and deride serious comments that are in no way funny. That can no way be interpreted as light hearted.

It would appear to be being used to try and drive posters off threads. And the impression I get is that it's actually often certain posters ganging up together to try and silence people who don't agree with them.

I think MN having guidelines for posters to stick to civilised responses to other posters is being undermined because they have given those who are minded to be unpleasant to other posters the perfect tool to be nasty to them without having to verbalise anything and risk getting their post removed.

I'm failing to see any benefit in providing the laugh emoji reaction when it's principal use now is to upset and drive away genuine posters.

I don't think it was a good idea in the first place and I would like to see MN remove this reaction option.

Isn't that Mumsnet summed up? It is not a place for sensitive people. It was nasty ten years ago and it's still nasty now. There are a minority of people who are helpful but I'd say majority are opinionated and can be quite nasty. I'm here only because I'm bored, try not to take anything any Internet stranger says too seriously or you'll go mad.

I think there's been a thread about this before and MN said it's better for people to actually type a reply rather than a a disagree react button.

I stopped using the laugh one now, since you never know what's going to be perceived as an attack, on even mundane posts, depending on how a thread develops.

@Voltefarce

Are you going to tell me what was so hilarious about my opening post ?

Lots of people probably have notifications switched off in their talk settings. I do, and wouldn't see someone has tagged me unless I go back to a thread and look at the replies and usernames tagged.
I have all notifications turned off for everything, so remain peacefully unaware of react emojis left.

I've had it where it's clearly that someone disagrees and is mocking my opinion. But I certainly don't use it in that way.
I've actually become more wary of using it as I've noticed it becoming commonly used as a negative response.
It's a shame but it's because some people probably often want there to be a thumbs down/dislike button. As there isn't they resort to the laugh to express displeasure. Human nature I guess.

I agree with you OP, and actually posted on that other thread. Too many people use it inappropriately to bully and mock.

Well given I've made no secret of how distressing I find this.
I don't see how the poster doing the very thing I've been talking about could in any way be interpreted as " just messing about".
The poster must be very aware of the effect of laughing at what is obviously a serious post will have .
So how can it be anything other than nastiness?

I think this too.

In that case why have any reaction buttons? If all we can do is agree or say thanks or laugh or send love then it's not a surprise people look for another way to express dissension. We may as well say no reactions, just type a response
It's less confrontational to add a no emoji than to keep arguing.

I suppose it's all relative: if you have been a long term poster on MN then it will be very recent. I've only been on a couple of years so to me it's been a wee while.

I did when that happened to me. I got another laughing response
I reported my own post to MNHQ referencing the misuse of the emoji and got a detailed reply saying that behaviour like that was not in the spirit of the site and the poster would be dealt with.

Well you are assuming everyone should be the same as you and you are here criticising people who aren't like you.

You have no idea what is going on in people's lives.

Do you really not realise that some people have very little , or no validation , in real life? And to come on MN and try and make a helpful or supportive or valid point and then to be mocked for doing so then this is yet another reason to feel worthless.

Same here. Means I can peacefully scroll MN, read a few interesting threads, maybe leave a comment then go and do something else with my day. Personally I don’t really see the point in having the emojis as I do think, for some people, they can be very negative.

So people are using the laugh emoji to mock and deride people. Which was not it's intended use.

But you think this is acceptable and you think the people who are actually upset or offended by this misuse should be the ones to leave MN. Not the actual posters who are misusing the emoji.

So you are validating the point I've made earlier that this emoji is actually being used to bully people and effectively drive them off MN.

I can't speak for that poster, but some people on here find it hilarious to deliberately do exactly 9what you've expressed unhappiness about.

For example, every single time somebody starts a thread complaining about people who quote the OP in full in their replies, the first person to respond (if not more as well) will deliberately do just that - because it's 'the funniest and most original thing ever... apparently.

If someone sending an emoji is enough to drive you off MN completely, then I would suggest you are not in a good enough place mentally to be starting threads on the internet, criticising people.

MN is an incredibly supportive place for so many for so much of the time, BUT anyone posting on an internet forum of any kind has to be able to understand that other people will hold different opinions, and that other people have different senses of humour, and that other people interpret things differently.
There will also be some idiots who set out to upset people.

I mean, personally, I use the laughing emoji if people have made a joke / said something where I appreciate the wit of what they have written, but if someone sent one on one of my posts and I deemed it to be sarcastic, I'd roll my eyes and move on with my day.

I post a laughing emoji if the post has made me laugh.🤷‍♀️.

Mumsnet is not a "safe space". It is not somewhere to post if you are sensitive to criticism or feedback. It is not an echo chamber. It is not your personal blog. If you are upset by people's reactions, mark all your notifications as Read without clicking on them.

I'm sorry youre having a difficult time but it's ridiculous to ask Mnet to remove a function just because you don't like the way it's used @Itsjustsodepressing.

I was given a temporary ban for what was deemed a malicious laugh reaction, but IMO wasn't. Since then I've had it done to me countless times and it's annoying.

I'm very aware MN isn't a safe space.
You only have to read some of the threads to know that.

Personally I'd rather go back to just the Thanks option we used to have. Because, as other people have said, this is supposed to be a forum for discussion and view points, not just sticking an emoji on a post and moving on.

What I can't get away from is the vindictiveness of the way some posters are using it .

Perhaps you don't realise it's not just me being " thin skinned". There have been other threads voicing the same concerns and a lot of other posters who are unhappy with the way a section of MN are chosing to use the Laugh emoji in a negative and unpleasant way.

Again, you are pointing the finger of blame at the people on the receiving end of this nasty behaviour. Not at the people who are deliberately misusing the emoji.

MNs stance appears to be that this emoji is not supposed to be used in a negative way but according to your logic it's those who object to the misuse that have to change their behaviour.
.